Archive for the ‘Stutz’ tag

For a luxury company up against severe competition from Cadillac and Packard and struggling against the poor sales of the Depression, it’s remarkable that Stutz managed to hang on as long as it did, until 1935. Credit a strong leadership team as well as the marque’s impressive dual overhead-camshaft straight-eight engine, both of which – as Arch Brown shows in SIA #125, September 1991 – helped Stutz stave off the inevitable in the early 1930s.

In the course of digging through old photos on the USC Digital Library’s online photo archive, we’ve noticed many a newspaper photo shoot that likely originated with a photo editor telling one of his shooters: “Bunch of cars, eh? Well, let’s round up some dames and pose ‘em with the cars. And make sure the girls are showin’ some teeth.”

The women recruited end up becoming entirely superfluous to the scene and everything looks staged, so it all ends up very Hollywood. At least they tended to choose some interesting vehicles for the women to lean on, as we see from this series of photos taken at a Horseless Carriage Club of America get-together March 23, 1952, on a ranch somewhere in San Gabriel. The information with the photos gives the names of many of the people involved in the shoot, but doesn’t clearly pair them up with the cars: Somewhere in these photos are Lindley Bothwell, Eddie Hearne, Frank Elliot, Marty Martin, and Johnnie McDowell. Anybody care to put the names to the faces?

As noted in Arch Brown’s comparison report on the 1918 Mercer Raceabout and 1918 Stutz Bearcat for SIA #121, February 1991, the two thoroughbreds are often mentioned in the same breath for their many similarities, but they are indeed separate cars, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Rather than pose hypotheticals about the superiority of one of these storied rivals over the other, however, Brown drove them both and came back with this report.

It shouldn’t be news that owners of pre-war cars will often modify their cars’ drivetrains for better performance while on tour. We’re not talking about extensive engine swaps, more like enhancements to allow the cars to keep up with traffic. The drivetrain modifications on this 1928 Stutz Black Hawk Speedster for sale on Hemmings.com take that trend to the next level, however, with a Callaway-designed turbocharger setup atop the original Stutz straight-eight. From the seller’s description:

Dare say this is a one-of-one Boat Tailed Speedster of amazing performance, combining a historical engine with modern engineering expertise! Former owner William Ruger Sr., of Ruger firearms fame, in a desire to increase the power and durability of a favorite Stutz Speedster, contracted Callaway Engineering. They worked their magic to create a unique one-off Turbocharger system; Callaway’s years of turbo expertise enabled the company to engineer and build an application that was elegant in presentation and impressive in wrapped turbo, signaling immediately that this is a classic to be reckoned with. Image notwithstanding, this is now a 300-horsepower road warrior, backed by a modern 4L80-E automatic transmission. No need to be concerned about keeping up with the pack on any classic car tour!

Might this be the perfect vehicle for a Stutz fan to take on the road, or to augment a Callaway Corvette collection. A truly remarkable Rally or Touring Car. Pull away from the rest of the vintage pack in this one-of-a-kind, rare 300hp straight-eight custom motorcar. What could be better than the blend of two different times in American History. This has to be one of the most unique cars ever “rebuilt” by two American Icons, Ruger and Callaway.

The leather interior offers beautiful stitching and craftsmanship throughout. The simple bench seat shows no signs of wear, and the tight loop carpeting is as original. Restored gauges have been fitted into the original wood dashboard. Documentation includes an original Stutz Information Book (owner’s manual). Also a binder with the Callaway Logo on the cover that records everything in pictures and blueprints regarding this one-off build. Letters to Mr. Ruger from Callaway are included in the binder.

Considered a Full Classic by the CCCA, this is one of only a handful of its kind in existence and it would always be a welcome entrant on any club tour where it would undoubtedly impress.

While it was one of the most spectacular and well-engineered race cars of the period between the wars, it’s not terribly surprising that few people have attempted a full-size replica of Frank Lockhart’s Stutz Black Hawk Special since the tragedy that destroyed the car and killed Lockhart during the racer’s land-speed record attempt on Ormond Beach 83 years ago. After all, all but the engine of the Stutz Black Hawk Special remains unaccounted-for today—making it difficult to take measurements off the car—and the drawings that exist of it are of questionable accuracy.

However, that hasn’t stopped collector Jim Lattin and craftsman Jeb Scolman from putting together what is believed to be the first running replica of Lockhart’s Stutz Black Hawk Special, which will debut this weekend at the Long Beach Motorama.

Lockhart, a gifted engineer and talented driver, stunned the automotive world when he won the 1926 Indianapolis 500 as a rookie. Based in Southern California, he raced extensively on board tracks and dirt tracks and, following his win at Indy, Stutz recruited him to head its revitalized racing team. Lockhart also dabbled in land-speed racing at Muroc dry lake, and believed he could capture the world land-speed record in a smaller, lighter, more streamlined car than what many others had been using for that same feat. His first attempt, in February 1928, ended poorly at an estimated 225 MPH when the Black Hawk Special flipped into the surf; Lockhart escaped relatively unscathed and the car was immediately sent back to Indianapolis for repairs. His second attempt, just two months later (and just a few days after Ray Keech set the record at 207.55 MPH) appeared to go well until a tire on the Black Hawk Special blew, sending the car tumbling down the beach and throwing Lockhart to his death.

According to Lockhart historian John Bayer, the Miller V-16 engine went on to be used in a number of Indy cars through 1946 and today resides in the Sampson Special, housed in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s museum. The rest of the Black Hawk Special’s remains were taken back to Stutz’s factory in Indianapolis, but from there Bayer doesn’t know what became of them. While one non-running fiberglass replica of the Black Hawk Special has been built and is on display in Indianapolis, Lattin—who is responsible for a couple of other race car replicas, including the Stu Hilborn dry lakes racer and the Danny Sakai dry lakes racer—wanted a replica as close to the real thing as possible. He thus had a wooden buck built from photographs of the Black Hawk Special and turned that over—along with a Miller 91 eight-cylinder engine and some frame rails—to Long Beach-based fabricator Jeb Scolman of Jeb’s Metal and Speed. Jeb then spent the next six months crafting an entirely new Black Hawk Special out of aluminum.

The end result of Lattin and Scolman’s work will make its first public appearance in a life-size diorama at the Long Beach Motorama, an indoor and outdoor hot rod and custom car show that pays tribute to the premier custom car shows held in the late 1950s in the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium. Along with special displays dedicated to the Stutz Black Hawk replica, the Motorama will also feature the Hilborn replica, Ed Iskenderian’s roadster (as well as appearances from both Hilborn and Iskenderian), a cacklefest, a 100-foot-by-21-foot diorama replicating Lions Drag Strip, competition for the $20,000 America’s Custom d’Elegance award and the inaugural Diamond Cup Championship award. For more information on the Long Beach Motorama, visit LBMotorama.com.

While barn finds were one of the major classes, and both the show field and associated Bonhams auction were full of unrestored cars, it was a pair of world class restorations that won top honors at the Fairfield County Concours d’Elegance on Sunday. The show awards two best-of-show honors, to an American and a European car, and both were former Pebble Beach class winners, the 1926 Hispano-Suiza H6B belonging to Frank Ricciardelli, and the boattail 1932 Stutz 32DV belonging to Jim Glickenhaus Ralph Marano’s 1929 Stutz M-8 Convertible Victoria.

I happened to interview Frank during the Saturday CCCA Grand Classic that precedes the concours, and while there are still a few gray areas yet to be filled in, the Hispano-Suiza’s history is as fascinating as the car is beautiful. The one-off Chapron body is original to the car, and the going theory is that it was commissioned by the king of Tunisia. It later came to Long Island in 1948, and famed restorer Steve Babinski purchased it from the estate of that owner in 1998, with Frank in mind. Restoration lasted from 2002-’04, when it went to Pebble Beach and won its class.

We’ll have plenty more show and auction coverage of the weekend in an upcoming issue of Hemmings Motor News.

Hard to believe that anybody would let a Stutz – let alone a one-of-one supercharged Stutz with coachwork by Lancefield of London – languish for decades in a barn, but that’s what Alexander Kennedy Miller did, keeping the Lancefield Stutz along with about 30 other Stutzes in various sheds and barns in his property in East Orange, Vermont. Nowadays, in the hands of Robert Mitchell of Montgomery, Texas, the Lancefield Stutz gets out a great deal more often, including to the Milwaukee Masterpiece this past weekend, where it took Best in Show.

Part of a class celebrating the centennial of the Stutz marque at the Masterpiece, the 1930 Stutz Model M was one of two Stutzes entered by Mitchell and arrived in Milwaukee directly from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. With a supercharged 322-cu.in. straight-eight good for 140hp, it’s described as one of two factory supercharged Stutzes still in existence and the only supercharged Stutz bodied by Lancefield, which bestowed a number of noteworthy features on the car, including the retractable roof and teardrop step plates. After a total restoration in the mid-1990s, it ran the 1997 Beijing-Paris Motor Challenge, and was treated to another restoration after Mitchell bought it in August 2010. The Stutz previously won Best in Class at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and second in class at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Undoubtedly, the Al Jolson Packard that sold for seven figures this past weekend benefited greatly from its provenance. One must wonder, then, who first purchased this 1932 Stutz SV16 for sale on Hemmings.com, and whether their ownership would make an already remarkable car even more so. From the seller’s description:

The car number MB would denote that this example is an M model with long wheelbase of 145 inches. The engine number followed by HC refers to it being a high-compression motor. Information from respected Stutz owners in the U.S. suggests that this car was, for a long time, owned by a Mr. Kingsleigh in Pennsylvania during the 1960s. Apparently, he used the car regularly and was active in club events. Evidently, around this time period, the car was fitted with power steering, making the car more attractive for use in modern traffic, or on tight roads.

Further research indicates that only a handful, possibly five, of these cars were built with this style body, thereby making them accordingly rare. It is believed that this is the second chassis completed, and the first to be fitted with a Derham body, and also the first to be fitted with the desirable “high-compression” SV16 engine. The SV16 engine, in “high-compression” format, is identical to that of the DB32 unit, with the exception of the Miller-supplied 4-valve DOHC head.

The car was displayed at the Hershey meeting in the U.S. a number of years ago before being sold to a European collector in 1990. In 2002, Christie’s Auction House resold the car to a collector in Spain who had the car freshly painted and the chrome refinished. It would also appear that the upholstery was re-trimmed with high quality leather and wool carpet, and that the burl wood door caps and dash face were refinished. In addition to power steering, added earlier in the car’s life, power brakes have been fitted, with a vacuum tank discreetly mounted under seat. It has also been fitted with turn indicators. Together, these power-assist mechanisms wll give the new owner of this pre-war beauty a comparatively modern driving experience.

The body is in good order with straight panels, sound hinges, and positive door shut. The recent paint work is done to reasonably high standards, and included much of the undercarriage and under fender areas. The chrome has a fresh appearance, with no weathering whatsoever. A new canvas top and top boot have been fitted, and are in excellent condition accordingly. The interior, including the rumble seat area, is very well appointed, and is equally fresh, having been restored with high quality materials. Both the engine bay and the underside are nicely detailed, in keeping with excellent ‘tour’ standards.

Mechanically, the car appears sound and has a confidence-inspiring ride. The brakes and steering are extremely effective. The suspension is tight and rattle-free. The engine is so quiet and smooth, even at idle, it is almost impossible to tell the car is running.

Courtesy of the staff at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada, attendees of the 15th annual Ironstone Concours d’Elegance will have the opportunity to get a ride in a 1913 Stutz Bearcat. It’s the first of the new activities planned for this year’s event, scheduled for September 24 and held at the Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys, California. If you miss out on the Stutz, local car clubs are providing rides in Model A and Model T Fords. The Stutz – and the Fords – will be just a handful of the 300-plus vehicles slated to appear at the concours. In addition to the rides, featured marques include Stutz, Packard, Pierce-Arrow, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Volkswagens; there will also be a 100th anniversary display of Chevrolets. Vintage motorcycles, wooden boats, art-deco trailers and campmobiles will also be on display.

Organizers of the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance have been busy amassing a number of entries for their third annual event, which will include special classes for Stutz, Rolls-Royce and wooden runabouts; a British car club gathering, and a group of Chevrolets in celebration of the marque’s centennial. Also in the spotlight will be the Vintage Trailers/Motorhomes class, where attendees will be able to cast their eyes on the 1929 Raise the Roof Chevy house car pictured above. Owned by Dick De Luna, it was constructed by Ontario, California-based Arthur A. Thompson Company on a Chevy half-ton truck chassis and is powered by Chevrolet’s first six-cylinder OHV engine. Fully appointed, it was one of four “Four Sleeper Coach and Diner” units built by the firm; it’s also the last known surviving example.

If you’re a fan of the glory days of open-wheel racing, you will not want to miss out on the Indy 500 Centennial display planned for this year’s concours. In attendance – from the Bruce Canepa collection – will be the 1953 Andy Granatelli Kurtis roadster that was driven by Freddie Agabashian to a second-place finish in that year’s Indianapolis 500 (a scoring error initially had placed the car in fourth); at the time, it was known as the #59 Grancor-Elgin Piston Pin Special (see image in the gallery below). The car now carries its 1955 livery in which it was driven by Cal Niday.

Also on display will be Sir Jack Brabham’s No. 17 Cooper Climax, which he drove to a ninth place finish in the 1961 running of the famed 500. Entered by Jim Kimberly, then heir to the Kleenex firm, the car was revolutionary due to its rear-engine design, which forever changed open-wheel racing at Indy.

The concours will be held on May 15 at the Marin Civic Center Fairgrounds in San Rafael, California.